1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a billing system, and to devices constituting this billing system, including a billing condition determination server, mobile nodes, and router device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid expansion of the Internet has resulted in a sharp increase in IP packet traffic. Further, the spread of cellular telephones has been accompanied by standardization under International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000), and it is anticipated that high-speed IP communications in a mobile environment will continue to expand. Despite this rapid technological change, technologies enabling faster IP communications, that is, QoS at individual terminals, as well as network-wide load distribution of WWW servers, cannot be described as sufficiently mature given the anticipated demand.
The present invention provides a billing method necessary to perform billing according to service details in the IP service control mechanism of an IP network which includes a mobile environment, and which enables service management and execution in terminal (subscriber) units. That is, the present invention provides a billing method to perform billing for individual terminals connected to the Internet, and in units of the services provided to these terminals.
Further, the present invention provides a billing method for billing services which continuously provide information from a plurality of servers. Businesses are emerging which offer integrated services which utilize geographically distributed server groups, as one form of new information delivery service employing networks. Specifically, in contrast with existing car navigation systems which preserve map information in storage devices within automotive systems, these services distribute map information for required regions, such as the vicinity of the current location, via a network. In this type of service, while there is one map information provider, the servers and other equipment providing services are distributed geographically, and map information to be distributed to each server is retained separately. In other words, there exist servers which handle the delivery of information related to different regions. This configuration aims at improvement of the response time for users when distributing maps and other information, data sizes of which are anticipated to increase, as well as alleviation of network traffic and distribution of map server loads. It is necessary to establish a billing method for billing services which continuously provide information from such a plurality of servers; the present invention concerns such a billing method.
PBN (Policy-Based Networking)
A framework for control of IP networks under the concept of PBN (Policy-Based Networking) is being proposed by a group centered on Cisco, 3Com, and other U.S. vendors. In PBN, a policy server sets network operation policies in routers and other network equipment groups, and the network equipment groups achieve QoS and provide other services by referring to these policies. However, when the setting of policies for each mobile node is considered, it is necessary to set policies for all network equipment groups for which there is a possibility of accommodating mobile nodes when policies are appended or modified, so that the volume of processing to set policies over the entire network is increased. Further, in order to apply information provided by PBN to basic services prescribed for Mobile IP or similar, it has been necessary to prepare specifications and study implementation for the purpose of application to the respective services. In other words, with PBN, it is difficult to provide different service control, such as QoS control, for each user or terminal. Hence the applicant of this application proposes an “integrated IP service control architecture” which provides IP services customized for each user or terminal on the Internet.
Integrated IP Service Control Architecture
As one requirement made of the Internet, it is anticipated that with the advancing diversification of applications and terminal capacity, well-defined service control functions for each user will become necessary. However, the Internet in its current state, or with the above-described PBN, cannot be said to have sufficient functions to provide IP services customized to individual users. Features of the above “integrated IP service control architecture” proposed by the applicant of this application are: (1) IP services customized to each user are provided; (2) by regarding stationary terminals as mobile nodes with mobility 0, and enhancing the location registration functions that are essential to mobile communications, the control for services to both stationary terminals and mobile nodes is executed under the base of mobile communication; and, (3) procedures and data (service control data) necessary for service control are stored only in a necessary device in the network at the time of location registration, and these are used during packet transfer to perform service control. Where implementation of this architecture is concerned, deployment to the Internet will be made possible by adopting the Mobile IP now being studied by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).
In other words, the “integrated IP service control architecture” enables provision of IP services customized for each user/terminal, without differentiating between stationary and mobile nodes, and is characterized by:
(1) control technology which integrates stationary and mobile nodes;
(2) function separation technology which takes ease of deployment into consideration;
(3) technology for delivery of control information, applying location registration and location query procedures; and,
(4) technology for standardization of service profiles.
The control technology integrating stationary and mobile nodes (1) regards stationary terminals as mobile nodes with mobility=0, and exercises control independent of IP network type (packet transfer method, stationary/mobile, and similar) The technology for function separation which considers ease of deployment (2) is technology which separates a layer into a service control layer and IP packet transfer layer, enabling independent development and deployment of each layer. The technology for control information delivery (3) is technology for the delivery of service control information (service profiles and location information) only to equipment related to packet transfer, upon location registration of a terminal on the network. The technology for standardization of service profiles (4) provides editing functions to the user himself, linked with a policy-based network management system.
Foundation of an Integrated IP Service Control Architecture
In the following, the (1) layer structure, (2) service control method, (3) Mobile IP principle, (4) application to Mobile IP (service profile delivery procedure), and (5) application to Mobile IP (service execution procedure) for the “integrated IP service control architecture” which is the foundation of this invention are explained.
(1) Layer Structure
FIG. 91 is a figure explaining the layer structure of the integrated IP service control architecture; the layer is separated into a service control layer SCL and an IP packet transfer layer PTL. In the service control layer SCL are provided a service profile database (also called a service control database) SPDB; a position information database PIDB; and a server SV which executes IP service control functions. Service control information for individual subscribers (terminals, such as for example quality control information (QoS), is registered at the time of contract in the service profile database SPDB, and position information indicating the current position of each subscriber, based on location registration from user terminals, is registered in the position information database PIDB. The server SV manages information for each of the databases, and distributes position information and service profile information to the edge routers ERT1, ERT2, ERT3 of the IP packet transfer layer PTL as necessary. The IP packet transfer layer PTL is positioned in the core network NW and in the vicinity of the core network, and accommodates numerous user terminals; it comprises edge routers ERT1 to ERT3 which execute specific service control, such as for example quality control services.
The server SV of the service control layer SCL (a) manages the terminal location (which router accommodates the terminal) and the service profile set in the terminal, (b) executes service control based on the service profile set in the terminal in question, and (c) distributes the location information and service profiles of prescribed terminals to edge routers. An edge router ERT of the IP packet transfer layer PTL (a) requests location registration of the service control layer SCL, (b) saves, in cache memory, the location information and service profile of the destination terminal distributed from the service control layer SCL, and (c) after saving this information, executes service control and communicates with the destination terminal based on the service profile rules stored in cache memory (cache execution function), without the mediation of the service control layer SCL.
(2) Service Control Method
FIG. 92 explains the service control method in the integrated IP service control architecture.
{circle around (1)} The terminal MN1 (IP address: IP#M1) issues a location registration request message to the server SV of the IP service control layer SCL via the edge router ERT1. By this means, the server SV registers the IP address (IP#F1) of the router ERT1 accommodating the terminal corresponding to the terminal MN1 (IP#M1) in the position information database PIDB. The destination port number and quality control information QoS are already registered in the service profile database SPDB in association with the terminal MN1 (IP#M1). In an example, the port number 80 is an HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) port and a high QoS (for example, high priority) is set, while port number 25 is an SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) port, and a low QoS (for example, low priority) is set.
{circle around (2)} In this state, when the terminal MN2 (IP#M2) first sends a data packet to the terminal MN1 (IP#M1), the data packet passes through the service control functions of the server SV, services are executed, and the packet arrives at the terminal MN1 (IP#M1). That is, the edge router ERT2 accommodating the terminal MN2 queries the server SV for the location and service profile of the terminal MN1, and based on the location information/service control information obtained, the server SV transmits the packet from the terminal MN2 (IP#M2) to the terminal MN1 (IP#M1).
{circle around (3)} Then, the server SV transmits the location information and service profile of the terminal MN1 (IP#M1) to the edge router ERT2 accommodating the terminal MN2 (IP#M2), as described above. The edge router ERT2 stores the transmitted information in its internal cache memory, and then refers to the location information and service profile stored in cache memory to communicate with the terminal MN1 (IP#M1).
{circle around (4)} After delivery of the service profile to the edge router ERT2 by the server SV, when a packet is issued from the terminal MN2 (IP#M2) to the terminal MN1 (IP#M1), the edge router ERT2 independently executes service control of the terminal MN1 and performs transmission, without the mediation of the server SV.
(3) Mobile IP Principle
FIG. 93 is a figure explaining the principle of Mobile IP. NW is the core network, ISP-1 is the home network for the terminal MN1, HA is the edge router (called the home agent) performing unified management of the home network IPS-1 of the terminal MN1, ISP-2 is an external network other than the home network, connected to the core network NW, FA is an edge router (foreign agent) performing unified management of the external network ISP-2, and AAAS is an AAA server executing authentication, authorization, and accounting processing. Mobile IP is a protocol which supports the movement of terminals in an IP network. In IP networks prior to Mobile IP, IP addresses allocated to each terminal were fixed in the number system within a specific network, and were valid only in this network; it was in essence impossible to bring these to another network. Mobile IP makes this possible.
In other words:
{circle around (1)} The terminal MN1 moves from the home network ISP-1 to an external network ISP-2.
{circle around (2)} When the terminal MN1 moves to the external network ISP-2, it sends a location registration request message to the foreign agent FA. By this means, the foreign agent FA requests authentication of the terminal MN1 by the AAA server.
{circle around (3)} When the AAA server completes authentication of the terminal MN1, it requests registration of the destination location by the home agent HA managing the terminal MN1 on the home network ISP-1 of the terminal MN1.
{circle around (4)} The home agent HA, having received the registration request message, recognizes the IP address (IP#f.a) of the edge router (foreign agent FA) managing the destination network ISP-2 as the destination (location) of the terminal MN1, and simultaneously creates internally a mobile connection table MCTB as location information for the terminal MN1; subsequently this table is used to manage the location of the terminal MN1. When location registration is completed, the home agent HA sends a registration reply message to the AAA server.
{circle around (5)} The AAA server relays the registration reply message, with the foreign agent FA as the destination, and the foreign agent FA notifies the terminal MN1 of the completion of location registration. Subsequently, data packets sent to the terminal MN1 are sent back to the terminal MN1 on the visited network ISP-2 via the HA/FA. In other words, packets sent to the terminal MN1 arrive, via normal routing, at the home agent HA of the home network ISP-1. The home agent HA refers to the mobile connection table MCTB, recognizes the location of the terminal MN1, and employs IP tunneling technology to compel forwarding of the packet to the foreign agent FA; the foreign agent FA then sends the packet to the terminal MN1.
(4) Example of Application to Mobile IP (Service Profile Delivery Procedure)
FIG. 94 is a figure explaining an example of application to Mobile IP (service profile delivery procedure); the AAA server is provided with IP service control functions, and at the time of location registration the service profile is distributed to the home agent HA and foreign agent FA by the AAA server. The AAA server also distributes the location information to the home agent HA. A summary of the procedure for delivery of the service profile is as follows.
{circle around (1)} The mobile node MN (Mobile Node) sends a location registration request to the foreign agent FA as a result of movement. The foreign agent FA relays this location registration request to the AAA server.
{circle around (2)} Upon receiving the location registration request, the AAA server registers this in the position information database PIDB, and retrieves the service profile for the mobile node MN from the service profile database SPDB.
{circle around (3)} The AAA server sends the retrieved service profile, together with the location information, to the home agent HA. The home agent HA stores these in internal cache memory. As a result, subsequently the home agent HA can acquire the location information and service profile for subordinate mobile nodes MN by referencing cache memory, without querying the AAA server.
{circle around (4)} When location registration is complete, the home agent HA sends a registration reply message to the AAA server.
{circle around (5)} In this way, the AAA server distributes the service profile of the mobile node MN to a foreign agent FA, and the foreign agent FA stores this service profile in internal cache memory.
{circle around (6)} Also, the foreign agent FA notifies the mobile node MN of the completion of location registration.
By this means, subsequently the foreign agent FA can execute a prescribed service and send packets from the terminal MN to another terminal, without querying the AAA server for the service profile or location information. Also, the home agent HA can perform the prescribed service and send packets addressed to the mobile node MN.
(5) Example of Application to Mobile IP (Service Execution Procedure)
FIG. 95 is a figure explaining an example of application to Mobile IP (service execution procedure). To summarize service execution, the home agent HA executes the service on a packet addressed to the mobile node, and the foreign agent FA executes the service on a packet issued by the mobile node. That is:
{circle around (1)} A data packet sent from a prescribed communication node (communication node) CN to the mobile node MN arrives at the home agent HA of the mobile node MN via the edge router ERT3, is here subjected to the prescribed service, and is then sent to the foreign agent FA via the core network NW. In other words, a packet addressed to the mobile node MN is subjected to services based on the service profile held by the home agent HA.
{circle around (2)} A packet sent from the mobile node MN to a prescribed communication node CN, on passing through the foreign agent FA of the mobile node MN, is subjected to prescribed service control based on the service profile, after which the packet is sent to the communication node CN via the edge router ERT3.
By means of the “integrated IP service control architecture” proposed above, contract conditions for service control can be set for each stationary/mobile node, and IP services (for example, bandwidth assurance or QoS control) or similar can be provided. As a result, by associating network resource usage fees with contract conditions, profits can be expected to be consistent with equipment investments.
Current Billing Technology
At present, fee systems to which subscribers make payments in Internet connection services which include stationary and mobile nodes, other than fixed-amount billing, fall into the following two categories:
(1) Billing based on packet flow and connection time
(2) Billing based on information/content service
However, the service contract conditions of current service providers mainly stipulate fixed-amount billing for a contract period or similar. Introduction of a new billing mechanism such as billing based on meter rate would require the distributed deployment, in routers or other equipment in the network, of functions for calculation of service usage fees (for example, number of packets consumed); in this environment, it is difficult for an independent service provider, and in particular a new small-scale service provider to construct a meter rate-based billing mechanism with the expectation of an appropriate return on investment.
The Emergence of ASPs (Application Service Providers)
At present, ASP (Application Service Provider) businesses are appearing in various areas, and are offering various solutions. One basic conception of ASPs is as businesses which provide, via a network, package software or services which previously had been sold separately on a per-terminal basis, with fees charged according to quantity used (usage time, and/or data volume). A wide range of services are provided by ASPs, and proposed categories extend from groupware to ordinary package software. Because it is thought that the users of ASPs are often motivated by a desire to save money by paying only an amount corresponding to the actual amount of use, not intending to use the product sufficiently to justify a purchase, it is anticipated that there is a demand for meter rate-based billing and for a variety of other billing methods.
Current State of Fees for Mobile Nodes
There has been remarkable growth in data services other than voice communication for mobile nodes, and in particular for cellular phones. More specifically, these data services consist of connection to the Internet; however, services utilizing this communication foundation are nearly all information services provided on a monthly basis or purchases of goods (mobile commerce). They are characterized in that services are provided on the occasion of agreement to pay a fixed amount, regardless of the amount of information used on the network or similar; payments are not made on the basis of content, including the needs of individual users or the circumstances of data delivery over the network.
In light of the above, an operation mode is practical in which the network operator introduces volume-based billing or some other new billing mechanism, provided as general-purpose functions to the service provider. By this means it becomes possible to apply diverse billing methods, thereby activating competition among service providers. Further, if network operators act as proxy in the collection of fees, users need not conclude individual fixed contracts with service providers, and can utilize services with peace of mind, while entry of content providers into the market can be facilitated.
The Need for Strategic Billing
At present, with attempts being made to integrate all manner of information communication means into the Internet protocol (IP), activation in future of competition between competitors is anticipated as a result of thriving IP service businesses. Conceivable elements serving to differentiate such competitors include (1) differentiation of service contents (customization, specialized functions and similar), and (2) the provision of strategic pricing plans. In particular, (2) is important for ASP services, for which meter rate-based billing systems are effective, and can contribute to intensified competition among a plurality of businesses offering similar services.
Conditions Facilitating the Emergence of New and Superior Services
Hereafter, in order that highly original services may appear on the Internet as bandwidth grows, it will be necessary to establish the following foundations:
(a) Provision of a choice of various billing methods, in order to activate competition among service providers
(b) Facilitation of market entry by content providers, through the proxy collection of fees by billing businesses
In other words, these foundations are regarded as necessary for the emergence of highly original services. One reason for the success of i-mode is said to have been the proxy billing for content in a simple manner. If billing technology satisfying the requirements of these two foundations can be established, by linking this billing technology with technology for control of contract services in terminal units, it will become possible to set various fees not only for each terminal, but also by service type. Effective equipment investments can be made by network operators, and competition between service providers can be stimulated.
In an IP network with integrated voice and data communications, and to which various types of terminals are connected, the realization of QoS functions is vital for the protection of traffic which is sensitive to delays and traffic which is of high priority for business. As means of realizing QoS, Int-Serv and Diff-Serv methods have been proposed; of these, Diff-Serv support, with its lower overhead for carrier networks and backbones, is regarded as the more promising.
However, there are the problems that Diff-Serve requires that policies be set on network devices on the route, and that network management is complex using Diff-Serv alone. Consequently the concept of PBN (Policy-Based Networking) was proposed, in which policy settings for network equipment is set all at once on a server called a policy server. However, in a seamless global network comprising various providers and carriers supporting mobile nodes, it must be possible for all local networks to determine policies, and set information in network equipment, for all users who may possibly connect to the network. In order to accomplish this using PBN, either policy information for all users must be stored locally, or else information must be set in advance for all network equipment to which connection is possible. It is extremely inefficient and impractical to undertake this for users who may number in the hundreds of millions. Moreover, the continual storage in network equipment of policy information for all users will necessitate increases in the memory capacity of network equipment, and cause degradation of processing capability. Conversely, if a method of processing is used in which policy servers are always queried, overhead associated with queries will arise, and there is the problem of an increased possibility that SLAs (Service Level Agreements) cannot be fulfilled.
In the above-mentioned “integrated IP service control architecture”, IP services implement a service control method for individual subscribers; but in providing services based on individual conditions in subscriber units, appropriate billing must be performed according to the services provided. Hence in this invention, a billing method is proposed which enables the setting of billing conditions in terminal units and in units of the services utilized by terminals, premised on cooperation with the above architecture. Specific problems 1 through 3 addressed by this billing method are listed below.
Problem 1: Flexible Introduction of Billing Functions
Currently, the units for billing services provided to mobile nodes take the form of either monthly fixed amounts, or amounts paid for specific items, and billing is performed only under fixed conditions determined by the service provider, rather than in user units.
Hereafter, it is anticipated that more high-quality content will be provided over the mobile Internet, the bandwidth of which will continue to increase; these services are expected to become practical under quality control of IP services in the core network. Hence it will be necessary to set appropriate pricing plans for high-quality applications, and in order to induce competition among content providers, diverse billing methods in user units and in service type units must be provided. As one basic market principle, in order to engender active competition among businesses, it is important that customers be offered a variety of choices with respect to billing methods.
When individual services are to be offered in terminal units (user units), rules for billing in terminal units (billing conditions) will differ.
Further, in order to set separate billing conditions for individual mobile nodes, and to enable application of these billing conditions in a destination network, the billing conditions for the mobile nodes must be set in all the billing devices (billing engines) within the network. In this case, if some innovation is not made, it becomes necessary to set in advance, for one billing device, the billing conditions for the vast number of all the terminals accommodated by the network; this is not practical from the standpoint of application to the large-scale network of a network control mechanism.
Further, one promising method to promote the emergence of diverse services is to offer a variety of billing conditions, making it easier for a service provider to put forward characteristic features of the service. To this end, permissible conditions for billing services in terminal units are stipulated, and service providers are offered a variety of billing conditions. By this means, it is possible to greatly expand the possible patterns of service conditions which can be offered, and services meeting user needs can be provided.
Problem 2: Application of Billing to Mobile Nodes
Currently, the principal technology for quality control in mobile nodes is smooth handoff technology. This technology aims at the continuation of data communication when a mobile node moves between base stations. However, current handoff technology executes transmission control in packet units in layer 3 (the IP layer), and is not linked with the authentication session information of the upper application level. On the other hand, in a fee-based service the billing function portion within the network must recognize session information related to the service. For this reason, when introducing a high-quality fee-based application, it becomes necessary to precisely understand and inherit billing information when a service is provided to a mobile node. For example, in the provision of a fee-based application which has begun between a server and a mobile node, functions are required so that billing information related to the fee-based application is exchanged between the new and old base stations at the time of handoff, and billing can be continued immediately after movement.
Problem 3: Realization of Proxy Billing
Many of the current fee-based services on the Internet are being developed by large-scale businesses by exploiting sophisticated facilities, data centers in particular. Among the pioneers of this business model were amazon.com of the U.S. and others; they are said to be driving existing store-based bookstores out of business. However, although the sales volume of amazon.com continues to grow, it cannot be called profitable. The reasons for this include the considerable costs incurred in the introduction and maintenance of an extremely high-cost infrastructure (servers, transmission lines); on the other hand, this acts as a barrier to the market entry of smaller-scale businesses.
In future, an inexpensive and highly reliable commercial transaction infrastructure will be necessary for businesses of all sizes, and in all industries, in order to enter the market as an IP service provider. In addition to adequate transmission line capacity and servers, in order to provide ASP (Application Service Provider) services, it will also be necessary to provide flexible billing functions.
Consequently, by providing billing functions and performing proxy billing for businesses planning to offer IP services, a network operator can facilitate the market entry of new and small-scale businesses. In order to perform proxy billing, billing devices must be deployed within the network, and packets related to the service which is to be billed must be observed and information extracted.
Problem 4: Billing Technologies which can be Applied to IPv4 and IPv6 Respectively
It is necessary to provide both billing technology which solves the above problems 1 to 3 in a network configuration based on IPv4/Mobile IP, and billing technology which solves the above problems 1 to 3 in a network configuration based on IPv6, which is regarded as the basis of a future commercial Internet protocol.